Wreck-indicating buoy



P. BICHEK.

WRECK INDICATING BUOY. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1929.

1372,591 Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- a men BICHEK, or HUDSON, WYOMING.

WRECK-INDICA'IING BUOY.

To aZZwhomit may concern i Be it known that I, PAUL Bremen, a citizen ojt Jugo-Slavia, residing at Hudson, in the county of Fremont and State of VVyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vreclelndicating Buoys, oi which the tollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in .wreck-im dicating buoys of that type adapted to normally assume a position upon the deck of a vessel and connected with the vessel in such manner as to automatically assume a floating position in the water at a point substantially above the vessel when the lat-ter sinks for any reason. H i The primary object of the present invention is to provide a buoy of the above type which is extremely simpleand durable in construction as well as efficient. in operation.

y A. further object of the invention is to pro vide novel means for automatically causing illuminationot the buoy llPOllQl'lOv'Qll'lGllt oil. the same from the deck of the vessel when the latter is sunk.

V 'ith these general objects in view and others that will. appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more tully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part ofthis application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatical elevational view showing a buoy constructed in accordance with the present invention as it would appear when associated with a sunken ship.

Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical sectional view of the buoy,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof,

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary sectional view showing the battery cell and lamp socket separated in an inoperative position and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon line V-V of Fig. 4.

Referring more in detail to the several views, the present invention embodies a hollow body 5 preferably constructed of sheet metal so as to provide a trusto-conical upper portion 6 and a cylindrical comparatively Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 122, 1921, Application filed June 19, 1920. Serial NQ. 390,115.

large base portion 7. The bottom of the body his so formed asto provide an open chamber 8 within the base portion 7 in which a suitable drum 9 is journaled upona horizontal axis for freerotation. A cable 10 is wound upon the drum 9 and suitably fastened as at 11 to the deck 12 of the vessel 1.3 so that when the buoy rises from the deck of the vessel the cable will be unwound from the drum sui'liciently to allowthe buoy to reach the surface of the water as shown in Fig. 1 at a position substantially above the vessel forindicating approximately the position of the latter.

It will. thus be seen that the body 5 is 111 the nature of a hollow fioatcarrying means for storing a cable which connects the buoy to the vessel. A tube 14: is vertically disposed and liked substantially centrally in l the body and extends from the top 01 the chamber 8 through the top wall 15 of the body 5, and projects beyond said top *all 15 i for a slight distance to a point within a dome 16 fixed upon the top wall 15 as clearly shown inF igs. 1 and 2. A plurality of battery cells 17 are disposed within the tube 1 1 in a manner somewhat similar to the arrangement of battery cells in the ordinary hand flash lamp, and these cells are normally pressed into engagement by a helical spring 18 in the usual manner. An incandescent lamp 19 has its base suitably secured in the upper end of the tube 14 within the dome 16 so that its filament is substantially on a level with the transparent windows 20 provided in the dome 16. An elongated plate 21 is adapted to be norn'ially interposed between one Contact of the lamp 19 and the upper contact of the uppermost cell 17 so as to maintain :1. broken connection at this point whereby the ligl'it is normally out, the circuit of the cells 17 and lamp 19 being completed between the other contact of the lamp 19 and the cells in any suitable manner so that when the separator plate 21 is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 4, the lamp 19 will be lighted ior clearly showing the position of the buoy at nighttime. A lever 22 is pivoted within the dome 17 at its upper end to a bracket 23 and is pivotally connect ed intermediate its ends to the plate 21,

while a rod 24 is slidably disposed through to the rod 24: and extends through suitable tained in said dome.

guides 26 down along one side of the body 5 the deck of the vessel as the latter sinks, the

cable is paid out for such distance until the cord is pulled for withdrawing the separator plate 21 and allowing the battery cells to move upwardly for closing the circuit of the lamp 19'. Further sinking of the vessel requires further unreeling of the cable 10' so that the cord 25 breaks, and in order to hold the separator plate 21' in withdrawn position, springs 28 are arranged to frictionally bear upon the sides of the lever 22 as shown in Figs. i and 5.

The dome 16 may be provided with a removable cover 29 for permitting access to the interior of the dome for renewal or repair purposes with regard to the parts con- If desired a suitable signalflag or the like 3O,'n1ay be carried by V the cover 29.

It is believed that the construction and operation as well as advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by the foregoing description. Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

'What' I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

within said hollow-body, a cable wound upon said drum and adapted for connection with the deck 01 a vessel, a dome upon said body, illuminating means including a lamp in said dome and battery cells within the body, means connected between the cable and the illuminating means for automatically causing the lamp to be lighted upon paying out of said cable, said last-named means including a separator plate arranged to be normally interposed between a contact of the lamp and a contact of one of the battery cells, and means including a fragile cord connected to the cable and the separator plate for withdrawing the latter from between said contacts.

2. A. wreck-indicating buoy including a hollow fioatable body having a central tube with superposed battery cells therein, a spring for normally pressiiw said battery cells upwardly into contact with eat-h other, a dome upon the top of said body, an incandescent lamp in the upper end of said tube within said dome, means to normally hold said cells lowered with a contact of the uppermost cell and a contact of said lamp separated, and means to automatically release said holding means upon the movement of said body from the deck of a vessel, whereby said spring may raise said cells for engaging said contacts with each other so that said lamp will be lighted.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PAUL BIGHEK. 

